


Bad Moon Rising

by UncleNansi



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst, Happy Ending, M/M, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies, angst with happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-05-19 15:47:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14876702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UncleNansi/pseuds/UncleNansi
Summary: It all starts so fast.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> i have no explanation other than the discord talked about this FOREVER ago and ive been working on it since
> 
> also. i HATE zombie apocalypse stories so here is a very short little thing that will be a few chapters here and there while i work on Ghost Kent fic

It all starts so fast.

Jack hardly remembers it. Kissing Bitty on the forehead, making a protein-heavy breakfast, starting out on a run.

He dreams about that morning sometimes. Waking up with Bitty’s warm chest to his back, Bitty’s strong arms draped over his waist. He even dreams of their soft mattress and silken sheets. The safety of a roof and four walls. While the Bitty shaped hole in his heart is bleeding more and more every day, the comfort of a good night’s sleep would do him more than good right about now.

“Hey, Cap.” The sharp whisper comes from Kody, a little shit Jack’s group of survivors has collected.

He shouldn’t be so harsh on the kid. Jack knows this. Things are tough and Kody is just trying to keep himself alive. Jack should be glad he pushes and questions. If, God forbid, they ever got separated he knows Kody could last until Jack was able to find him.

“Don’t call me that,” Jack mutters, rolling on the hard concrete to his back so he can eye Kody with a tired eye. “Go to sleep.”

Kody doesn’t even look tired, the brat. He’s got his arms behind his head, one leg crossed over the other. He looks like a kid on a late night escapade, not like a kid surviving a zombie apocalypse.

“Can you tell me about the NHL?” Kody asks.

Jack sighs, “Of all the punks in Providence to run in to and I get my number one fan.”

Kody giggles, “What is Robinson like?”

“He really likes hockey,” Jack grumbles, turning back over. “Go the fuck to sleep.”

“Go the fuck to sleep,” Kody mimics. Jack hates how accurate the kid’s accent is. “Forgive me if I find it a little hard to sleep on cold cement knowing we might die any second.”

“At least we’d have some peace and quiet!” Someone says from around their camp.

“Wise-guy,” Kody snarks back. He goes quiet though, and eventually Jack hears the sound of his breathing even out and relaxes himself knowing the kid is asleep.

* * *

 

That night Jack dreams of winter.

He’s skating on a pond, his arm intertwined with Bitty’s. It’s snowing softly, enough for flakes to settle on Bitty’s eyelashes when he looks up to make eye contact with Jack. It’s night, and they’re the only ones on the pond. Bitty untwines their arms and catches speed skating backwards from Jack.

Jack hangs on to his hand, let’s Bitty pull him along.

Bitty leads them in luxurious, lovely loops around the ice. His skates cutting the ice like a hot knife in butter. Jack feels clunky, indecent being lugged around. But even when he tries to let go, Bitty hangs on to his hand tight.

* * *

 

Jack gets the group moving early. They dip into rations, ready for the day, and head out from their sanctuary. They make their way west out of the city, moving slow. One part to scavenge for food and anything else of use; one part to keep the group together and healthy.

Kody is 15, annoying as all hell, a hockey player. He’s fast, maybe even faster moving than Jack. Which is a pain in his ass since he’s always wandering off and making Jack sick with worry. The rest of the group moves slower with injury and age. They hustle when it counts, and Jack figures that’ll have to do.

“Where are we headed today, Cap?” Kody asks as they head out. They keep together and close to the buildings of downtown Providence.

Jack nods, “South.”

The initial outbreak was absolute chaos. All ahead of Jack was carnage as cars piled up and the zombies mauled anyone they could get their hands on. He had turned back, high-tailing it back home. But by the time he got even close to the apartment it was too dangerous to keep heading that way.

He prays Bitty got out. Or maybe stayed in the safety of the building and has managed to hail one of the helicopters that came right away to get people out. There haven’t been many since the first few days. Maybe wherever they went is infected now too.

The city is quiet as they walk. Occasionally a dying, infected human on their last legs will be stumbling around. Too sick to see or notice Jack and his posse. It’s been awhile since they’ve seen freshly infected people, the ones that still run and jump and attack like a healthy human would.

Gladys, an elderly woman Jack keeps right on his left tugs on Jack’s arm, signaling the time for a break. They duck into an alley, and sit for a breather.

“Here,” Jack passes around a bottle of water, making sure Gladys gets its twice before taking some for himself.

“What I wouldn’t give for a fucking cup of coffee,” Gladys sighs.

Kody giggles, “Maybe we can stop at Starbucks.”

“Har har, you little shit.” Her eyes twinkle despite the harsh words, she pinches Kody’s cheek and he grins.

They get up and start walking again without another word. The tense mood creeps back into the group as they continue making their way out of Providence and towards the Atlantic. They move for a few hours straight after that, adding a few detours to scavenge for supplies and food; slowly leaving the city behind.

In the silence of the abandoned city they can hear the ocean. The sun is just starting to set and the moon is bright in the sky.

The group of survivors come across a mall, left in shambles only after the few days of the outbreak. They rest in the rotunda, the echo of the mall putting them on high alert. Kody and one of the other younger people, Alyssa, scout out one of the empty stores before coming back to confirm its safe.

They hide in the back room, barring the door and able to eat, sleep, and rest in peace. As they’ve walked they’ve run into less and less of the infected. It stirs hope in Jack’s chest. Less infected people moving around, less chance that Bitty is in danger.

A small hand-powered lantern is the only light source in the room, and it’s just bright enough for Jack to pull the ring hanging from his neck out from under his shirt. It’s a small silver band, etched with his and Bitty’s initials.

Jack sighs, and tucks the engagement ring back safely against his chest.

* * *

He’s dreaming about something pleasant when the banging wakes him up. The lantern is flicked back on and the door to their refuge is still shut. But it’s clear that there’s something trying to get in.

“Put out the light,” Jack whispers.

The door is already locked and blocked by a large, heavy desk that they had found. The pounding continues, and whoever is on the other side tries the handle. So not a zombie. So smart.

What feels like an eternity passes by, the whole room holding their breath and waiting for whoever is out there to leave them alone.

Jack counts each sweat drop that trickles down his back. Whoever is out there knows that they’re there. Must have been following them. From where? When did they pick the followers up?

“Jack?” Kody whispers beside him.

“Shh!” Jack chastises. He still grabs Kody’s hand and hangs on to it, hoping to comfort the kid.

After what feels like an eternity, the pounding stops and everything quiets outside the door.

“I think they’re gone,” Hank, an older man who was also separated from his family whispers from Jack’s other side.

Jack’s heart is still pounding painfully hard in his chest, but he nods, “The door will hold if they come back… We’ll stay here for the night.”

There isn’t even a murmur in the group when Jack makes the decision. The survivors simply go back to sleeping with only the dim light around the door to show their movements.  
 


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> btw this is v much a side project and i dislike zombie aus thats why its so short and not beta'd lol im sorry!!!!!
> 
> i am enjoying this tho. this chap is short in order to maintain the cliffhanger.

_Jack wakes up to a gentle hand brushing bangs out of his forehead. The lithe fingers tangling in the shorter hair on his temple. There’s no real surprise when he opens his eyes, just awe that he’s so lucky to wake to such a beautiful man._

_“Hey, sweetpea. Want some lunch?”_

_Jack nods, but he darts out his hands and grabs Bitty around the middle. Pulling him down to the couch giggling._

_  
Bitty lays atop Jack, his laughter felt through Jack’s chest._

_“I can’t very well get you some food with you holding me like this.”_

_Jack sighs, “Then I’ll starve.”_

_Bitty scoffs, but cuddles in anyway._

 

Jack wakes up with his arms painfully empty.

 

He lays in his corner of their temporary sanctuary and wills away the tears filling his eyes; letting his hungry and dehydrated body rest just a little bit longer.

 

Before anyone else gets up he quietly sneaks to the door, stepping over people to listen for any signs of life on the other side while he waits for the group to rouse.

 

 

They travel through the mall. The group decides the abandoned stores may provide necessary shelter as well as dangers in them. Jack leads the way. He tries to listen for anything that may be out there, but all he can hear is the blood rushing in his ears. He’s holding his body so tense it’s starting to ache, and he’s painfully aware of every movement in his line of sight.

 

A squirrel darts out from an overturned clothing rack, nearly sending the group into a panic.

 

“Jesus,” Kody groans, “Dumb fucking squirrel.”

 

Exhales pass through the group, and Jack figures now would be a good time for a break. Let everyone catch their breath and get a drink of water. But just as he turns to face the group the telltale growls and clicking of the infected comes from farther down the large hallway.

 

He freezes. Maybe it was his imagination. Maybe they won’t notice the group.

 

“No one make a sound,” he whispers. Nonetheless the whole group hears, and Jack scans their faces. Scared, dirty, tired. He doesn’t think they’ll be able to run if they need to. He doesn’t think he can help them all if they fall behind.

 

Sherri, a frail, middle-aged woman with long brown hair falling into her face tries to speak but croaks instead. She clears her throat.

  
“I think they’re go—”

 

A louder moan of the undead rips through the linoleum walls from behind Jack.

 

“Run!” he shouts, and they take-off.

 

Jack stays at the rear, making sure no one falls behind. He glances behind them, and sees a small pack of zombies following them. They’re moving at various speeds, nothing too worrying, but its best to get away from the noise and the smell which attracts more of their kind.

 

There’s a scream at the front and the group halters. Jack keeps pushing, though. “What’s wrong? What—”

 

He freezes as well.

 

Down the hallway mall there’s a gang of very tough-looking customers, each holding weapons at the ready.

 

They’re trapped.

 

“We just want to get away from the Undead behind us!” Jack calls, “Can we pass?”  


“If you pay the toll!” One of them responds. An extremely pale person with a shorn head and a make-shift spear. “Drop all that extra food and water weighing you down and we’ll take care of them for you.”

 

They won’t last a day without their supplies. Jack glances at his group, all of them tense and make a decision.

 

“We can give you half,” Jack reasons, “We won’t survive without—”  
  
“You won’t survive the next five minutes if you don’t do what we say!”

 

They’re right. Everyone knows it. Jack figures that he and some of the other older men can take out enough Undead for the rest to escape and lay low, but it’s a gamble.

 

“We have to—”  


“Fuck you!” It’s Kody. Of course it’s Kody. Heaving a piece of rubble from the floor into the gang, and managing to nail one in the shoulder.

 

“Shit!” The man with long black hair swears. He drops his club, and pulls out a pistol from his belt.

 

“Don’t shoot!” Jack sreams, he grabs Kody and pulls the boy behind him, “He’s just a dumb kid. I’m sorry. We’ll drop our supplies and then be on our way.’  


“Jack, we can’t—”

 

“What are we going to do, Jack?!”

  
“Jack—”

 

The murmurs within the survivors is instant. And Jack knows all that they’re saying is true. But he doesn’t see any other way out of this without someone dying.

 

“Give them your supplies,” Jack orders. “And then slowly walk past them with your arms up.”

  
With only a seconds hesitation they one by one drop their food and water packs. Jack does as well, and leads the way, walking forward with his arms up. He can hear footsteps behind him, and with a glance can see that they’re all following him.

 

Somehow, even in this situation. He feels touched.

 

It’s when he has his head turned that he hears the gun go off.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're so close guys we ARE SO CLOSE IM SO READY TO BE DONE

 When he turns his head back he sees one of the closer thugs with a sick grin and a raise gun, ready to fire again.

 

Jack moves without thinking.

 

He drives his elbow into stomach and push them to the ground. Someone grabs him from behind and pulls him off the gunman, tossing him to the ground. The second before Jack dodges the club hurtling towards his head he sees that chaos has erupted. His survivors outnumber the gang, but they’ve still got zombies behind them and need to get out of this god-forsaken mall.

 

Jack’s scrambling away from the club happy freak attacking him when something from behind knocks him back to the ground. He’s too shaken to catch the boot coming towards his face then.

 

And then he’s out.

 

Jack’s in a truck, staring up at a clear, star-filled sky. His foggy brain wanders to Georgia, watching fireworks with Bits in the back of a truck. Jack closes his eyes and wishes he was back there, Bitty’s weight against his side and head within kissing-reach.

 

When Jack opens his eyes again there’s strawberry blond hair— _Kody—_ blocking out the sky, and muffled voices. He turns his head, and spots a different, blurry blond figure.

 

“Bits?” he tries to say, he doesn’t know if he manages. The figure moves closer, Jack can tell by the shoulders, the jaw.

  
“Bits,” he could cry he’s so happy, reaching out to caress Bitty’s face.

 

Bitty grabs his hand, and Jack falls back into darkness.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess who doesnt care about medical accuracy for the sake of PLOT


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whooooooooooooo boy
> 
> let me know about any typos, i am going through this pretty fast (thanks for sticking with me anyways)
> 
> i had to sort of bullshit for a lot of the refugee camp stuff. i sort of pictured if someone actually devoted a decent amount of money to it, or better yet, resources were simply given and we didnt live in a capitalistic society but THATS another story.

Jack comes to in a building. With lights, and electricity and a clean floor. He must be dreaming again, he thinks at first. He’s even in a bed, with a pillow and sheets. He raises a hand to the bandage on his head, noticing an IV in his wrist.

 

“What the hell?”

 

There are other people around him. Also in beds, with sheets. _Clean_ sheets.

 

“Hello!” Someone he can only figure a nurse stops in her brisk walk down the row of beds at the foot of his.

 

Jack blinks at her. “Uh, hi?”

 

She grabs a clipboard at the foot of his bed and looks it over, muttering to herself. “Alright, let’s fill in some holes in your chart here.”

 

She comes up to his side, “Can you tell me your name?”

 

“What’s happening?” Jack blurts out. “I was… in a truck with Bitty and then there were—the zombies! I had a group of people with me are they ok?”

 

“Okay, calm down. It’s alright.” The nurse stops his rambling with a raised hand and gentle look, “You were found with a group of survivors at the edge of the city. You’re in a refugee camp within in the safe zone.”

 

“Safe zone?” Jack’s getting dizzy.

 

“Yep! The virus infecting everyone is contained to a few hot spots along the east coast.” She pats his arm, “You look confused, hun. Take your time. Do you have any questions?”

 

Jack has about a million. Where are the people he was found with? Where’s Bitty? Who does he know who’s alive or dead?

 

“C-Can I check… Is there a list of survivors?”

 

She brightens up, “We do. And we’re finding survivors every day. Don’t give up hope if you’re looking for someone, alright? Now help me out with this chart so _you’re_ loved ones can find you and we can get you feeling better.”

 

She asks him his name and and other details, informing him she’ll update the registry and come back with any info on bitty she can find.

 

He’s not here.

 

Once she’s gone Jack’s mind is a swirling mess. Relief that the tragedy is being contained. Happy that he’s safe. Worried sick about Bitty.

 

But there’s nothing he can do in his state. So he closes his eyes and drifts off and dreams of a blond figure in the back of a pick-up truck.

* * *

 

Jack wakes up to a hand shaking him awake.

 

“Mr. Zimmermann?” The same nurse from before asks.

 

He blinks at her, “Jack is fine.”

 

A bright grin, “Alright, Jack. Your son is here.”

 

“Son?” He sits up, suddenly alert. Then he spots Kody, standing shyly behind the nurse. “Oh, Kody. Uh, yeah! Thanks, uh, I’m sorry what was your name?”

 

“I’m Skylar. Now I have to go, but I’ll be back!” She hurries off, leaving with a pat on Kody’s shoulder.

 

Kody stands by the bed. Jack stares at him.

 

“Is everyone okay?” Jack asks, “I don’t… remember anything.”

 

“Yeah!” Kody nods, “yeah…”

 

Jack must have missed something, because Kody is near tears and as quiet as Jack as ever seen him.

 

“Hey,” Jack reaches for his hand and grabs it, “What’s up kid?”

 

“My parents didn’t make it,” Kody finally chokes out. “They’re gone.”

 

“Oh, God, Kody I’m sorry… Here, come here.” Jack holds out his arms, and Kody crawls into them. He lets the kid cry into his chest, pets down his hair, and murmurs words of comfort.

 

Hours pass like that. At some point Skylar returns with a cot and a thin blanket for Kody. She simply drapes the blanket over the both of them with a knowing look.

 

Jack only falls asleep once Kody’s crying has stopped and his breath has evened out.

* * *

 

Jack is out of the hospital in a few days, Kody still clinging to his side. He simply tucks the kid under his arm and heads off to their assigned bunk. It’s a family unit, since Jack claimed Kody as his son. (Or did Kody claim Jack he supposes.) They get a smaller tent to themselves and Jack is only there for a few minutes before he’s aching to go find others he knows.

 

“I’m going to go see if I can find anyone else I know. Do you want to stay here?” Kody is sitting on the cot, staring at the tent wall. He doesn’t answer.

 

Jack sits next to him, “I’ll only be a few minutes. You can stay here if you want.” He gets up to go, but a hang grabs his wrist.

 

“Alright, kiddo, come on.” Jack swings an arm around him, and walks with Kody close to his side.

 

There’s a few stations with long lines for accessing phones, internet, and the outside world; as well as locating anyone else who had to escape the infected areas. Jack and Kody wait patiently. Jack rubs small circles into Kody’s back and Kody stays silent.

 

Once it’s their turn Jack calls his parents, and checks the list for all the names he can think of.

 

Larissa Duan, “Shitty” (no first name) Knight, Alexei Mashkov, Sebastien St.Martin…

 

A lot of his friends have been found alive, are safe, and if not here are in nearby camps. But there’s no Bittle on the Known Dead or Known Alive lists.

 

Jack takes a deep breath, keeps his head, and heads towards the mess center with Kody in tow. There, Jack urges Kody to go get some food while he finds a higher spot and searches through the large crowd for anyone familiar. It's almost impossible to see anything in the mess, he doesn’t even see Kody returning until the kid is in front of him with two white paper bags of food.

 

“It’s like a field trip to the science museum,” Jack says. Kody doesn’t laugh, just hands over the bags of rice and freeze-dried vegetables to Jack. 

* * *

 

They’re provided a tiny gas burner and a single pot in their tent, and they cook and eat in silence. Jack doesn’t know what to say to Kody; despite taking care of the kid and keeping him alive for the past few weeks. Lord knows Jack isn’t good with words and he fears anything he says will just make Kody feel worse.

 

He really misses Bitty.

 

“Kody, I—” Jack starts, stops, and clears his throat to try again, “I think you’ll like Bitty. He’s pretty great…”

 

Kody looks up from his plate.

 

“Do you like pie? Bitty bakes all the time. Pie is his specialty. He’s a wonderful cook too.”

 

Kody drops his eyes again.

 

“And he’s a _great_ skater. He’ll teach you a thing or two about speed if you want, he used to be a figure skater.” Jack’s rambling at this point, and Kody doesn’t look like he feels any better but he can’t seem to stop.

 

“I don’t know where we’ll go once things settle down. Maybe to Montreal? Do you speak French?”

 

Kody huffs out a breath, “How do you even know he’s alive?”

 

Jack goes silent.

 

“He might be dead! And then what?” Kody shakes his head, “I know you want to go look for him. You’re going to go back out there and get killed looking for someone you don’t even know is alive.”

 

“Hey,” Jack bristles, “I’m not going to do anything stupid.”

 

“Yes you are,” Kody grumbles. He gets up from his spot on the floor of tent and stomps over to one of the cots, crawling in and pulling the blanket over his head, ending any further conversation.

 

Jack sighs, cleans their empty plate, and turns out the lamp they were supplied before crawling into his own cot.

 

“I’m not going to leave you, Kody,” he says into the dark. “Promise.”

* * *

More weeks pass. Jack nearly brakes a rib when Shitty and Alexei pile on top of him once they manage to track him down. It feels like something melts in Jack’s chest and makes breathing easier. He holds onto each hug for as long as he can.

 

Kody seems to be in slightly better spirits, considering he has a new gaggle of professional athletes to pester. Tater, Marty, and Snowy don’t seem to mind at all, and Shitty has always been good with teens. Jack sleeps better than he has in over a month.

 

But he still dreams of Bitty.

 

_Strong arms wrapped around him, the warm smell of baking while he naps in their bed._

 

There’s still no news of Bitty being picked up by a rescue team, and despite himself Jack starts to lose hope.

 

He watches the rescue teams leave and return, he thinks about ways he can get out there and search for himself. But Kody, crying in their tent comes back to him and Jack knows he can’t go.

 

Just shy of two months after being rescued Jack gets a call.

 

“ _Jack_ ,” his mom warbles, “ _I’m so happy to hear your voice.”_

 

Jack tears up embarrassingly fast, “Same, Mom.”

 

 _“When everything happened I—Well, that doesn’t matter. They’re starting to let people out of quarantine and—and your dad and I figured you should come up here. And you should bring anyone close to you there with…”_ She’s still crying he can tell, and he desperately wants to hug her.

 

“Mom, I… I don’t know where Bitty is.”

 

 _“Oh,”_ she gasps. _“Well--…”_

 

“I can’t leave without him, Mom.”

 

Alicia sighs, sniffling and rustling on her end, _“Jack, you should come up here, and we’ll keep—”_

 

“Mom!” he cuts her off, “I can’t.”

 

_“Please consider it for me, at least, honey.”_

 

He promises.

* * *

A week later, he gives in. He can’t justify taking up space and depriving his love ones with a comfort that will do them all loads of good. Especially Kody.

 

Anyways it’s been three months since the initial break-out. And the rescue teams keep coming up empty-handed. They’ve started going out less and less, only when helicopter scouts spot signs of life from the air.

 

Part of Jack wants to jump the fence and go searching for Bitty himself.

 

Most of him knows Bitty is probably gone forever.

 

They don’t have anything to pack. Just their replacement identification forms and tickets out to the real world. They’ll be in Montreal in less than a day. Jack should be excited but he just feels sick to his stomach.

 

Jack spends the last day in the refugee camp sitting by the entrance, waiting for the last rescue team to return.

 

He feels like he’s saying goodbye, like he’s moving on without Bitty.

 

The Army is starting to work their way back towards the ocean, cleaning up debris, and corpses. There apparently shouldn’t be too much worry for continued contamination, and everyone should be back in their homes after some simple repairs and clean-up.

 

Of course no one is expecting much after the months of looting and chaos that just occurred.

 

Jack could care less.

 

His mind keeps thinking about what Bitty’s mangled body looks like. Was he infected? Was he eaten? Horrible, bloody images flash behind Jack’s eyes and he closes them tight to keep them at bay.

 

With a honk and a rumble, the last rescue team rolls in. They managed to find some more people, but just a handful.

 

Jack sighs and gets to his feet to follow.

 

It takes a while for him to catch up to the tactical vehicles, and he can only faintly hear the murmurs of a commotion up ahead.

 

There’s a crowd, and shouting.

 

“I’m fucking telling you I _need_ to go back out there!”

 

“Sir, you’re hurt.”

 

“ _You’re_ going to be hurt if you don’t get out of my way!”

 

Jack freezes in his tracks. His brain must be playing tricks on him. He could swear this person was Bitty by voice.

 

But that’s not possible.

 

He keeps walking.

 

“Bro, relax. You need help.”

 

He stops again. That sounds like Ransom.

 

Jack takes off sprinting towards the small crowd, and once he’s there his heart soars.

  
He’d recognize the head of golden hair anywhere, even dirty, matted, and over-grown as it is. The way he’s waving his arms, the way his muscles flex. The filthy, bloodied clothes he’s wearing.

 

“Bitty,” Jack whispers.

 

He spins around and gives Jack a glare, ready to give him an earful too. Jack would love it if he did. Anything Bitty wants to say to him would gladly be accepted.

 

“Jack,” Bitty gasps. Mean grimace cracking open as he gasps and stares up at Jack. Tears start leaking from his big eyes, leaving tracks in the dirty and grime on his face. Bitty stumbles forward and falls into Jack’s arms, knocking him over into the dirt.

 

“Is this real?” Jack blubbers. “Did I die?”

 

“No, Sugar,” Bitty says into his chest, voice muffled. “I’m real.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more to go!
> 
> talk to me at r0wdie.tumblr.com


	5. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND WE'RE DONE
> 
> THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE. I LOVE YOU.

The second year after the Outbreak comes and goes without fanfare. There are memorials going on throughout the country, but Jack and Bitty spend their day sleeping in.

Until a knock on their door forces them to get up.

“We’re not home,” Jack calls.

The door opens and before Jack knows it there’s a hockey bag on his legs. “I wanna go skating.”

“Jesus Christ,” Bitty grumbles, scooting lower into the blankets.

Jack cracks open an eye, “Kody. Please. It’s a holiday.”

He holds out his hand with a smirk, “I could drive myself.”

“Mm kay.” Jack gives him a high-five. “Here are the keys to my magic pony. Don’t scratch her, she bites.”

“Dad!” Kody whines, plopping onto the bed.

Jack stills, worried that movement will ruin the moment or make Kody self-conscious. He’s never called Jack or Bitty Dad before like that. And by the stunned look on his own face he didn’t mean to say it.

Thank God Bitty is there to save the day. “How about this,” he sits up, “You let me piss and make you some French toast and then we can go skating. But only after breakfast.”

Kody thinks for a moment, “Can you make the peanut butter and jelly French toast?”

Bitty gets up out of bed and shoots him a smirk, “Do I look like a fool to you?”

“Yes!” Kody jumps up and hurries out of the room. “I’ll start getting things ready!” he calls.

Bitty grins and slaps Jack on the shoulder, “Better get up, honey. He’ll just be back here busting your balls if you don’t get up now.”  
  
Jack moans about it. But an early breakfast and skate with his husband and son sounds just fine to him.


End file.
